Fagan, Kevin  

Professore Fagan è un grande professore che ama raccontare storie delle sue avventure estere en i bar. (Is a great professor who loves to tell stories of his foreign adventures in bars). After one quarter, I have a great understanding and ear for the Italian language. He has a great mind for language (he speaks english, spanish, italian, a little french, gaelic). Too bad Cal Poly cut the Italian classes. Prendete una classe di lingua italiana, se avete l\'occasione!

I absolutely loved professor fagan. he graded fairly though he did frequently screw up on his grading he was more than willing to fix it. homework load was light and the tests were simple. his knowledge of the language is superb. the class is very interactive and focuses on being able to speak and pronounce the words properly. i recommend this class to any beginner. he makes it easy to pick it up.

The homework load is light and the class is very interactive. I only got a poor grade in this class due to failing one exam coming in on a Monday from a crazy weekend. The material is explained adequately in class although I find that the book sometimes offers a clearer explanation than is offered in class: so read the book too. Go to class and don't be late or you will suffer on your participation!

Fagan is the coolest guy i've ever met. he's a really good teacher, if you're willing to learn (obviously, why would you take this class if you didn't want to learn italian). he's super chill and tells stories of his adventures in foreign countries. he's literally been everywhereee which is chill. he's a cool irish guy wish an irish accent. definately take him if you want to learn the language.

I think he is a totally nice guy, but his teaching technique just didn't work for me. I was completely unable to grasp most of the concepts he lectured about, and I was able to get more out of reading the confusing descriptions in the book than I did from the lectures. Do your work and go to class and you'll get a good grade. He doesn't expect you to be awesome at Spanish right from the beginning. So, if you want an easy class, with not much to think about, take this one...

This class was as easy breezy as it gets. Fagan was a funny little fellow, and he knew his stuff, but I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. His tests were straight from the workbook, and the oral presentation project was fun and easy. If you are taking this class to learn the language I don't recommend, but if you are taking it just because you have to, go for it. It was easy and amuzing.

Dr. Fagan is a reincarnated leprechaun with funny stories galore and even funnier facial expressions. His class is very entertaining, but he does manage to get the material into it.

Do NOT take Professor Fagan! He is a crazy old man who can't teach anything, he just rambles on about nothing and goes off on the dumbest tangents. Everytime I went to his class, I felt like I wasted 2 hours of my day. I didn't learn any Spanish because this idiot doesn't teach. The tests are photocopied straight out of the homework workbook, which shows how lazy he is. Don't take this guy, especially if you have to learn Spanish for your major.

Fagan is a really funny, nice guy but he's not a good teacher. Class was totally pointless(but your required to go). All we did was watch those stupid videos that go with the books and do some practices out of the book. He almost never explained main consepts(like the difference between ser and estar) he just expects you to lern it from the book. When he did try and explain things it made no sense. I had taken spanish before and knew a lot of the stuff and I was still confused. If you have taken spanish before and your just looking for an easy A then this class would probably be fine but if you want to learn spanish find a different teacher!

Fagan rules!!

fagan is so awesome. he made spanish fun, and he is the coolest dude ever. he is a superstar!

This class was never boring. He always came in singing and dancing and telling jokes. He loves Spanish countries and is always talking about them. He has 1 oral midterm and 1 oral final. Which are pretty easy he only gives you a day or two to prepare. Every week there is homework due and a chapter test, which is usually copied from your workbook. Overally a easy class and really enjoyable. Try and speak spanish in restaurants and then tell him, he really likes that!

Fagan is the bald, Irish Robin Williams. His theatrics are what stick with you when learning Spanish. The tests are directly out of the textbook. If you show up to every class and do the book work there's no reason you should get less than an A in the class.

This guy is just all about putting on a show... that is not even funny. He goes out of his way to dumb down material and doesn't do anything that really helps you learn anything past "hola." Be prepared to teach yourself from the book and hope that is enough to help you throughout span 102 and 103.

Kevin Fagan is the man for sure... if he ever got in a bar fight (which is very likely knowing this crazy old irish man) i would have his back!

Dr. Fagan is a hoot! He is so enthusiastic about teaching Spanish that you can't help but have a good time. I must admit, I haven't learned much but I've had a great time doing it.

I can't say enough positive things about Dr. Fagan. His approach to teaching is multi-faceted. He managed to utilize the textbook, the Internet, as well as audiovisual presentations that presented cultural information while reinforcing subjects learned from the textbook. His wife was also kind enough to volunteer her time for a week of lectures. She taught the class Spanish songs that encompassed some of the verb tenses presented in class. Learning the songs was also quite a bit of fun. Dr. Fagan is able to provide a lot of insight into some of his personal experiences learning Spanish. I think that alone is Dr. Fagan's greatest asset and what makes him such a great teacher of college-level Spanish. He can identify with the difficulty and frustration that is sometimes involved in attempting to learn a new language. His personal anecdotes and the helpful linguistic tips he provided were very beneficial. It is apparent that Dr. Fagan does not want his course to be a cookbook "vocab test" type of class. He's more concerned with students establishing a comfort zone with the language and developing the capacity to speak in front of others.

Fagan is a super nice guy. He will go out of his way to make you feel comfortable in class and also if you need anything from him (like study abroad recommendations or just any added information about one of the many places hes visited in Latin America). He is friendly and energetic and really makes class enjoyable. For those people who gave him negative evaluations it is probably because they feel they didn't learn anothing, like he was too easy. If you WANT to learn a language it is really up to you, no teacher can make you do it. He provides a cofortable learning environment for all the students. If you want to learn Spansh you have to take the initiative and study what he tells you to. He is not a lazy teacher. Students can be lazy in this class and still get an A and I think that is what happened with some of the people who gave him negative evaluations. He's an awesome teacher and he really cares about making Spanish fun. I will take him again for whatever Spanish class he teaches.

Dr. Fagan has taken a unique approach in teaching Spanish that made the class turn out to be one of my favorite classes this quarter. He's very intelligent and has a multicultural approach that adds to the traditional way of teaching a second language. I loved going to his class. He has an awesome sense of humor that makes learning new material fun, expect to smile a lot while being exposed to a new language! :). He was recommended to me by a former student, and I pass that same recommendation on to you. He is a fabulous instructor and it is obvious that he loves his profession.

Fagan is the shit! I love this guy! I came in there, having never taken Spanish of my life, I took this summer class, (what was it again, 6 weeks? 5? Iforgot) and I busted out a nice A-, and now I can bust out some spanish with the ese at Taco Bell. Fagan is so far the best teacher I've had at Poly! W00t!

Fagan is a very nice, very animated, very caring guy. He was not, however, a very good second-language instructor. His test questions were verbatim from the practice tests online, and I often felt that his explanations about grammar and vocabulary were confusing. He read straight from the book and going to class was a tremendous burden. I'm offended he took attendance. It's really easy to get an A if you do the work, but you might have to teach yourself the language. But then again, I learn from teachers who challenge me, so teachers like Fagan (who require the bare minimum) might be better for other students who learn differently.

So many degrees, so little useful knowledge! Dr. Fagan is an sucha an easy teacher... but you won't learn usable Spanish; he just follows the book; nothing original here! Very little class prep, if any! Don't take him unless you're looking for a GPA booster! Take a native speaker if available.

Dr. Fagan makes learning spanish fun and interesting. He is a bit easy but that's part of the fun! He has his Chilean wife come and sing and play guitar and through that it adds to the fun of learning. I took three quarters with Dr. Fagan and he got increasingly better as the school year went on. I recommend taking Dr. Fagan if you're not interested in learning high school spanish all over again, and especially if you're interested in the culture as well as the language.

This summer I enrolled in Professor Fagan's five week Spanish 103 class. Professor Fagan combined his experience in Spanish speaking countries with a strong understanding for the different cultures to make for a great class. His lectures utilized the book, Spanish internet sites, songs, one on one interaction, and personal experiences to provide a classroom setting that made you want to learn more. I only wish the course could have been ten weeks.

Profesor Fagan is an extremely knowledgable man and brought fun and culture into an otherwise dry elementary spanish course. I had him for 101, 102, and 103. He incorporated true life situations and Spanish that you really can use. We didn't just sit there and memorize vocab and conjugate verbs. The oral presnetations helped us master the themes related to the course and his grading system is extremely fair. He offers nothing but support for his students and has made me more interested in the language and culture of Latin America. I am sorry to see that more students haven't appreciated the dedication and passion that Profesor Fagan gives whole-heartedly.

Mr. Fagan was an awesome teacher. He is very funny and really makes the class fun. His approach to teaching is different than most. The midterm and final were oral...but don't freak out....you only had to say like ten senteneces, using ten different verbs. Plus he totally helps you if you need it. Homework is pretty easy and you've got the answers in the back of the workbook. Do not sweat this class even if you dread foreign languages. It is not hard, I recommend him!!

Senior Fagan rules! He has a great approach to teaching Spanish and he is realistic about how much a student will gain from a 10 week course in Spanish. I took him for 102 and 103 with two years of high school Spanish experience. No I did not become fluent, but Fagan teaches you the basic information about how to become fluent. He relates the material to everyday things like going to the doctor, ordering in a restaurant, and traveling. He gives students the necessary skills to take the language as far as you want to. He suggests going on his trips to Mexico and/or Spain to students who are interested in becoming fluent. I highly recommend Fagan - his class is fun and he's a neat guy!!!

Fagan is far and away my favorite Professor that I have taken at Cal Poly. He has a good teaching philosophy, he knows that if you enjoy what you are doing you will be eager to learn. He sets up a classroom environment that caters to meeting others and learning Spanish. He takes the time to learn everyone

This is the best Spanish professor that I have ever had. He is constantly helping me to learn conversational Spanish. I used to be too intimidated to speak the langage even though I understood it after taking classes in high school. Now I feel way more confident. We have a good time in class and it is never a stressful environment. He expects students to do work to learn the language but the amount of homework is definitely reasonable and mid-terms and finals are checked and re-checked by him before they are turned in for a final grade. I strongly suggest this class to anyone injterested in learning Spanish, whatever past experience you have with the language.

How did this guy get tenure? He's high school level!

Honest: Want to learn Spanish? Fagan is not the prof to take. He seldom explains stuff clearly and may not understand what you ask. Not much effort into class activities. Every single day is almost the same! No surprises; predictable, boring teacher!!! The activities were straight out of the textbook. Super-Easy A; kind, elderly, Irish bloke; the "Doctor"(of what??) is your man of choice for an easy A or B; but if you want to learn Spanish take an educated native speaker! He's not the one!!!

Professor Fagan\'s class is a lot of fun. He tells a lot of funny stories, his tests are not very hard, and the homework load is light and easy. I also learned a lot in the class

If you want to learn Spanish Fagan is not the professor to take. He does not explain things clearly and never understands students' questions. He seemed to put little, if any, effort into class activities. Every day we did the same thing, activities out of the text book. If you want to get an easy A, from a nice guy, Fagan is an excellent choice but if learning Spanish is your objective try to get someone else.

I had Fagan for Span 102, 121, and Hum 310 Cultures of Mexico. I have enjoyed every class I've taken with him. Some info on how he sructures his classes...102 - half the time we spent in the lab practicing our comprehension skills by watching short videos or clips about different Latin American countries and then talking about them afterward. The other half the time was in the classroom learning grammar and doing other exercises from the book. 121 - similar in that we watched some video clips in spanish but we also read more stories out of the book (121 is more focused on reading), we wrote an essay per week, we looked up information in spanish on the internet, and also did one day of grammar per week. It was a good balance of everything as there was always something new to do and learn. There were two orals in class for which we read two of the essays we had written. While some people didn't like getting up infront of the class to present, I found these orals very helpful because they forced me to practice my pronunciation and really learn all the words I used in my essay. Hum 310 - This was an AWESOME class and if you have the chance to take it then do it!! (It takes care of the C4 GE.) We read four books for the quarter, each from different people with very different perspectives of Mexico and Latin America (ex. someone from the US, a Mexican...etc) Fagan seems to have a limitless knowledge of LA (as well as a ton of funny stories!) This class really opened my eyes to many different aspects of the Mexican culture and issues I had no idea existed. I really think this should be a required course for anyone living in California (or any boarder state for that matter) because it really gives you a new perspective of the issues facing Latin Americans in Mexico as well as the ever increasing number in the US. This class opened my eyes to stereotypes and judgments I never even knew I had and has given me a completely different perspective and attitude towards latin americans. Last comments: Fagan is super cool! Since he learned that I wanted to study abroad he has been encouraging and supporting me in every way he can with this. He's a great guy and awesome teacher for ALL the classes I had with him. I would deffinitly recommend him for any class you can take with him.

Professor Fagan was a very nice man, but not a great instructor. He does not teach in class. We simply went over activities from the book without covering grammar. On occasion, he would teach \"Fagan style\" (as he called it), but it generally left the class more confused. His tests were simple and overall easy, so it was not too difficult to do well. Be sure to do the homework and study the vocabulary at the end of each chapter!

Professor Fagan is a nice guy, but an awful teacher. I honestly don't think that he has ever prepared a lesson plan in his life. The class isn't difficult, but it was frustrating and if you want to learn spanish, take a different class. Its a pretty easy grade if you go to class and do the homework and he's an easy grader, but don't expect to be looking forward to this class. Participation Homework 4 Tests An Oral Presentation and a final paper

Want an easy A? Take Fagan he's hilarious and scatterbrained Want to actually learn & engage in Spanish? Stay away from this 100% textbook based class. I'm not going to say Fagan's a bad professor, everyone else raving about him is right in that yes, he's a very funny professor. But trust me IF YOU WANT TO *actually* LEARN SPANISH DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! You'd do just as well reading the textbook start to finish. that pretty much sums up whole class anyway. It might as well be an online class, every single every singleeee day is just going through everryy activity in the textbook. Not an interesting class. He makes lots of jokes and is a funny guy, but this does NOT translate to his teaching! He does nothing to make the class memorable or engaging. We just go through the workbook. And the homework is to do EVERY exercise in the workbook for each chapter. If you've ever looked through a spanish class workbook, you'd recognize that you are not meant to do each exercise as they are incredibly repetitive and non-stimulating! i LOVE Spanish and hate to say that I don't recommend such a fun professor, but trust me if you want to learn and appreciate spanish do not take Fagan

silly man and cool, but after that class i totally lost interest in spanish

This is the EZest Spanish teacher! Take him to boost your GPA. Follows the book. Pretty laid-back; no sweat; not much outside class work. Gracias para un classe tan mucho facil por me. Recibio un A- con poco trajabo!

I was very nervous for this class and was dreading it because I hadn't taken spanish in years. Professor Fagan was great and I ended up loving this class. He is funny and is a genuinely kind person. Going into office hours was very helpful and will help you do much better on the tests. The final is straight from the tests you take. Would highly recommend taking Fagan if you can.

Fagan is the sweetest man with the best intentions. I took his class last winter to fill a GE (as a sophomore) and hadn't taken a Spanish class since sophomore year of high school. I struggled at first because my Spanish needed some brushing up. I did poorly on the first midterm, but I went into office hours and he helped me figure out how to improve on the next ones. I ended up getting a B+ out of the class and ended up taking the Spanish minor because of his class. His teaching style is very animated but it helped me remember things. I have one last Spanish minor class left, and I'm waiting for one of Fagan's classes to work with my schedule to complete it.

Fagan made Spanish a fun class! Definitely a good choice for an elective. Not sure how much I actually learned in the class though, but that's just me.

Dr. Fagan is an extremely easy teacher if you watch your "ortografia" y "gramatica". He will take off one point per error. This class is extremely dry but if you read the book, SEVERAL TIMES, you can get it. Also he tends to pick the easier questions for the tests, straight from the homework. You will also have cultural/historical questions from Lectures that seem really hard, but are easy if you pay attention in lecture. He will also have you summarize articles in Spanish and gets mad if you don't participate. Very approachable in office hours but not really very helpful. He is very un-organized and someone in class needs to re-focus the discussion every twenty minutes or so. Need an easy class? Take this one, but you won't feel that you learned all you could have.

he's funny, but he never really tells you what he expects from you on the assignments - you have to pressure him for that information. lectures straight from the book, so don't come to class with out it.

Professor Fagan is crazy! He rambles on most of the time about himself while trying to teach linguistics. While he is a very nice person, he isn\'t the best professor. It was very unclear as to what we would be tested on, and homework had more weight in the class than tests. There is a six-page essay due at the end of the quarter and a presentation during dead week.

Fagan seems nice and he tells you that tests are easy and not to worry about difficult things but then he grades difficultly. There are weekly short essays, labwork and homework that are easy but he is really quirky and it is almost impossible to get full credit! I was placed above this class but I took it to brush up and I did everything over and above and I still didn't get full credit. Beware-he definitely picks favorites!

Prof Fagan is a great guy with a good sense of humor. He picks out the key material in all the reading and discusses it in class. He even tells you what quotes to read, and what they mean if you don't understand. We had hardly any take home writing as most of the writing came from weekly in-class essays on the reading that we reviewed the previous days and the miderms. He's a really good professor that you can learn something and have a good time. I'd recommend him to anyone.

Funny guy. Makes the class enjoyable by relating most of the material to alcohol :) Would deffinatly take again!

If you are a person who slacks off on assignments during the quarter, or tends to not come to class, do not take 303 with Fagan. I have never met a teacher who sticks to the policies in their syllabus more than this guy. Make sure you read through it, and read through it well, because if you have any problems throughout the quarter I promise he is going to direct you right back to the syllabus. The class is extremely straightforward, there's 1-2 assignments due before each class. The homework makes up the vast majority of your grade, the other portion is based on two projects you do during the quarter. There are no tests, which is nice, but like I said, if you forget to do a homework assignment or get a bad grade on one, your grade is likely going to drop quite a bit. As a person, he is fine. He's fairly nice but there were multiple times where he messed something up on polylearn and didn't notice it until someone brought it to his attention. Every time you aren't in class, he docs your attendance 25 points, which is only out of 100 to begin with. I recommend taking it with him if you are someone who can keep up with the all of the assignments and will attend class religiously.

Dr. Fagan is excellent! He is energetic, informative, and very funny in class. His whole teaching ideology is wonderful. He goes into class with the idea of presenting material so that you will actually learn something useful! What an idea! Other professors should follow this concept. His class is pretty reading intensive, but it's all for a very good point: you read what various people have said about Mexico through different perspectives, and then Fagan tells you how it really is. Trust him, he's lived in Mexico for years and has taught in their school system. He is extemely knowledgeable in Mexican culture, which is good, seeing that the class is the Culture of Mexico. The tests and quizzes are pretty easy, but they're weekly and essay format. Don't be scared though, cause he normally allows a class study group before each quiz (not test though). He doesn't focus on point values or grades, but rather on opening your eyes to Mexican culture (i.e. corruption within the governement) and making connections. I had a wonderful time in the class, and I would definitely take another class with "Funny Fagan!" Just read the book (or stay awake in class) and don't get freaked out the first day when he explains all of the required tests/quizzes and research paper. Viva Fagan!

Fagan is a great teacher. We had to do kind of a lot of writing, but it wasn't hard. The tests are short essay, but they are not hard at all, and even if you study a little you can get a good grade. You don't have to read the books in depth either, he highlights sections before the test to concentrate on, so do that and you can get an A. The final paper isn't bad and the oral presentation is really laid back. Everyone should be able to at least pass this class if not get an A, you have to show up though because he takes random attendence. This is a cool and interesting class, I recommend it,

Fagan is the shit. He's hilarious and makes class fun. Even though he gets disorganized and seems to be falling behind, you will have a blast in his class. Take him and get a good grade...if he likes you that is!

I took WLC310 with Fagan, not HUM310 (there is no option for WLC). The grading for this class is awful. He expects you to answer three to four sometimes loaded questions within fifty words then docks points if you don't elaborate on everything. Kind of hard to do when he puts restrictions on the word count. Every single class period something is due (daily reflections on the readings you must print and bring to class) and every single weekend there's an essay (that you also must print and submit on Poly Learn). He marks off twenty (out of fifty) points if you miss a single thing. You have to read his mind on what he wants you to write about. In class he says he just wants you to reflect and think about the readings, but if your thoughts don't match his he deducts points. Also, the lectures are extremely boring.

Dr. Fagan is scatter-brained but well intentioned. He requires you to do all the the chapter excercises, a paper and a presentation. The midterm and final are straight out of the homework. He makes class outlines but needs to be reminded to focus in order to stay on track.

This is the third class I've taken from Dr. Fagan and it seemed like it would be really hard, but he made it too easy. He needs to be reminded to focus on the outline or he will wander off on tangents that seem completely unrelated to the topic. He summarizes each chapter for you and then gives his opinion as to the main points and how it ties into the midterm or final questions he already handed out. Don Quijote is a very interesting novel and that made the class fun, but it is VERY long, so don't get behind in the reading. Come to class every day because attendance is graded and you will have to present 4 or more chapters for the class. The midterm and final are essay questions that he handed out ahead of time, so you should be prepared if you've been paying attention in class and READING. I reccomend Dr. Fagan for a scatterbrained, but easy teacher with an interesting philosophy on learning, but not if you have to REALLY know the subject, like you'd use it in grad school.

I have had Dr. Fagan for Spanish 205, 402, 416. He is an excellent professor who knows: Spanish, English, Galic, Italian, French, and Greek. He has several degrees (2 PHD). He has lived in Spanish speaking countries: Spain, Chile, Mexico for 20+ years. He is also an editor for a bilingual magazine and has a clear understanding of the workings of the Spanish language that few native speakers do. His accent is clear and definetly not "gringo". He is a good professor who knows Spanish perfectly and who knows about living abroad. Take Fagan! He is comical and caring!

During this entire quarter all I could think about was how this professor reminded me of that small little dog that runs through the back of scene 23 in The Incredibles by Pixar. Seriously, if you look it up you will only be able to see it...